By Deuce

Seneko is back, better than before, with his latest Extended Player ’69 Camaro. Moreover, he’s got the whole package this time: the right music, lyrics, instrumentation, and even background vocals. This fact shouldn’t suggest that these elements weren’t in place before. To the contrary, it’s simply an acknowledgement of how well he’s got them down this go round.

The things that man’s band can do with guitars is simply something to behold. Jon Conley’s guitar playing is exceptional, yet never more so than on the introduction to “No Goin’ Back” in which he laces up a western movie type tubed guitar with a dash of wah wahs over crystalline percussion, ostensibly attributed to Paul Scholten, who plays drums on the collection. It’s just a teaser, a less-than-minute slow interlude that contrasts the swiftness of the remaining track, but it’s magic is as clear as its sound is.

The bass playing of Luis Espaillat is another treat on these songs. It’s always salient and grooves with just a simple coupling of the drums alone before Conley does his thing. It’s one of the highlights on the opener, “’69 Camaro”, which is a mid-tempo affair that also showcases Scholten’s vivacious drumming on the transitions.

But it’s Seneko who steals the show with those background vocals. Money throws in some sleek “ooh yadayada” or some type of singing that belies words and sounds way better than when he sings with words—which is meaningful because he’s got the thought-provoking, trenchant lyrics to captivate your mind. I mean he references “the poetry of an unexpected turn”—when’s the last time you’ve heard that?

His phrasing is even better on “Crazy As She’s Cute”, in which he’s understandably smitten by a babe who “looks just like Mary Ann on Gilligan/it’s true.” Conley’s electric guitars are especially melodious on this one, although Espaillat (who’s also credited with playing the BGVs) tries to outdo him on the bass.

It’s truly wondrous what the right cast of characters can do for a collection of cuts. On ’69 Camaro it makes all the difference in the world.